Comment: Where are all the female scientists?

It may not be immediately obvious, but the characters of hit comedy Friends endorse stereotypes about gender roles in the workplace – the men are a palaeontologist, actor and computer programmer and the women are a chef, a masseuse and a fashion buyer. In terms of role models, there are very few high profile women on TV, in films and in newspapers who work in science, engineering and technology (SET). As a young woman deciding on a career path, many could be forgiven for seeing science as still very much a ‘job for the boys’.

The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (UKRC) argues that the media has a responsibility for helping to attract women into the profession and demonstrate the range of careers available.

A recent study showed that the media influenced some undergraduates and masters students choosing forensic science as a career and therefore contributed to a substantial increase in courses on the subject. This has partly been put down to positive portrayals of female scientists in TV dramas such as Silent Witness.

New research commissioned by the UKRC has also shown that the media has a vital role to play in attracting women to working in the science and engineering sectors. The research, carried out by Cardiff University and the Open University, formed the basis of its fourth annual conference on March 12 2008, chaired by journalist, radio producer and TV presenter, Kirsty Wark.

The UKRC says: “Currently, only 18.5% of people working in SET are female and at this time of heightened skills shortages, experts believe the mass media has a crucial role in either reinforcing, or challenging gender inequalities. Since 2004, the UKRC has been working to raise the profile and increase the participation of women in SET. The conference addresses the distinct lack of positive role models for women scientists and engineers in the media, which are not only important for attracting young women into the sector, but for retaining women already working in SET.”

“It is the responsibility of the media, as a vehicle for social change, to give women an equal voice and paint a positive picture of the opportunities available to them in the sector, whether that is by showing women in popular TV programmes such as Hollyoaks and Eastenders working in SET or by referring to more female scientists for expert comment on news stories.”

Speakers at the conference include former Tomorrow’s World presenter, Maggie Philbin, and Sociologist and author of several books on the mass media, Jenny Kitzinger, about how TV dramas, children’s TV, film and newspapers portray women in SET. There will also be open workshops to open the debate on the role of the media in representation women in SET.

One of the arguments journalists put forward in the research for the under-representation of female scientists and engineers in the media was that they work to tight deadlines and can not always get access to women for expert comment or other opportunities. The GetSETWomen database is a resource which makes the details of women at all levels in SET available for media and speaking opportunities, mentoring and sitting on public boards and committees.

Another initiative which the UKRC runs as part of its campaign to create positive role models is the Women of Outstanding Achievement Photographic Exhibition, which profiles pioneering women. This is a growing collection of images to inspire young women and to hang alongside the portraits of men which dominate the walls of universities and other institutions.

The photographs of the six women chosen to be profiled for this year’s exhibition were unveiled on March 11 at the Royal Society in London and include a leading engineer, the deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester and a Descartes Prize winner who set up ‘Science Made Simple’, a company which gives talks in schools to inspire children to get interested in science.

Annette Williams is director of the UKRC. To find out more, visit: www.ukrc4setwomen.org.uk

Are you a female studying science or engineering? What do you think about the media’s role in promoting science, engineering and technology to women? Have your say below.